Multiple grain scalper



May 20, 1952 A. H. SHEPARDSON MULTIPLE GRAIN SCALPER 2 sl-EETs sl'lE-ET1 Filed June 25, 1945 N NE Q N [NVENTOR 121% 556300244022 m fan:

ATTO El y 20, 1952 A. H. SHEPARDSON 2,597,390

MULTIPLE GRAIN SCALPER Filed June 25, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTORNEYPatented May 20, 1.952

MULTIPLE GRAIN SCALPER Anthony Hill Shepardson,' Minneapolis, Minn.,assignor to Haaky Manufacturing Company, St. Raul, Minn a corporation ofMinnesota Application-lune 2 1945, Serial Nj 01149 1 Claim. (or. 209285)invention relates to in improvement in multiple scalper, wherein it isdesired to provide a scalper which combines a multiplicity of scalp ingscreens.

I have found that in the use of scalpers of the horizontal cylindricalscreen type difilculty is experienced in obtaining the necessary volumein a small area with a single screen. By varying the length of thescreen the capacity of such a scalper can be increased. However,difiiculty is experienced in properly spreading the grain to utilize theentire screen length and other features of difiiculty are also involvedin the use of an elongated horizontal screen. In order to overcome theseprevious difficulties, I have devised a. scalper using a multiplicity ofhorizontal scalp-ing screens which are designed to receive grain from acommon source of supply.

Anobiect, of the present invention is to provide a scalper whichcomprises a pair of cylindrical screens mounted on horizontal axes andtravelling in opposite directions. These screens are preferably mountedon substantially parallel axes. support onto which grain is fed from asuitable source of supply. This grain is brought into contact with thesurface of the screen cylinder in such a way that the grain passesthrough the apertures of the screen while impurities are carried overthe top of the screen and deposited in a suitable receptacle or chute.

A feature of the present invention resides in the use of a single grainsupport forsupplying grain to. a pair of oppositely rotatingscalperscreens. As a result the screens may be-relative- 1y short in lengthwhile providing a screen sure face equal to that of a screen more thantwice the length of either single screen.

I have found that difliculty. has been experienced in feeding grainequally to a horizontal scalper screen throughout the length of thescreen. Thus in the use of an elongated screen it is often found that apart of the length of the screen is not operating at its greatestefiiciency. By providing a pair of parallel cylindrical screens ofrelatively short length operating in opposite directions, the use of theentire screen area at it utmost effectiveness is insured, thusincreasing the efliciency of the apparatus.

A further feature of the present invention resides in forcing a draft ofair through the grain Between the screens is provided a grain ing thegrain into the scalper.

dust and other impurities. are thus removed before the grain is scalpedthus decreasing the vol; ume of material actually passing over thescalping screens.

A further feature of the present invention ree sides in the provision ofan aspirating means in combination with a double scalping unit. Thevelocityof the air passing through the grain is dependent upon the areaof the passage through which the grain and air travel. For a givenvolume of grain it would be necessary to use a screen of more than twicethe length in order to produce the scalped volume of the double unit Ihave produced. As a result it would be necessary to doublethe. width ofthe inlet passage feeding grain to a single cylindrical unit. Thedoubling of the size of the passage would greatly increase the amount ofair necessary to properly aspirate the grain. Thus by producing a doublescalping unit I greatly reduce the volume of air which must be forcedthrough the scalper to aspirate the grain.

A further feature of the present invention resides in providing an airinlet on one side of the grain discharging hopper and providing an airoutlet on the other side. of this hopper. As a result the air travelthrough the scalper is extremely short and as a result very effective.

- A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of anautomatic hopper for feed- This automatic hopper closes when no grain isbeing fed and opens an amount proportional to the weight of grain in thehopper inlet. Thus if a large supply of grain is available the hopperwill open wider to allow more grain to drop. Similarly if there is asmall amount of grain in the inlet the hopper will partially close. Thisarrangement is particularly desirable in combination with the airaspirator feature as it, insures the spreading of the grain in a curtainof a thickness dependent upon the amount of grain in the hopper inlet,

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be, moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim.

Inthe drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a vertical Section through the scalper showing thearrangement of the screens.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on a plane at right angles to thatof Figure 1 The multiple scalper A. illustrated in the drawings.includes a rectangular base frame iii of angle iron or the 11KB designedto rest, upon the floor of the mill. Angle iron corner posts tween theseseparate sheets are not illustrated,

the drawing indicating merely the outline shape of the parts. This lowerportion of the housing I3 is provided with an outwardly extending flange[4 about its upper extremity which rests upon the frame l2 and issupported thereby. The housing includes opposed side walls l5 and I6which are connected by inclined wall portions l1 and |9 defining ahopper and having a center opening 29 at the bottom center thereof. Thisopening 26 leads to a suitable grain duct which may direct grain to anyfollowing process.

The lower portion l3 of the casing or housing also includes a pair oftailings chutes 2| and 22 which are connected between the upper ends ofthe inclined walls l1 and I9 and the adjacent ends of the frame |2.vThese tailings chutes 2| and 22 lead to suitable ducts into which thetailings may be discharged.

The upper portion 23 of the housing is provided with an outwardlyextending flange 24 encircling the lower edge thereof and which isdesigned to rest upon the flange l4. Thus the two parts of the housingare shown supported by the frame l2 by means of an outwardly extendingcircumferential flange on each housing bottom capableof resting upon theframe. Suitable bolts or other means, not illustrated in the drawings,are employed for holding the casing parts in assembled relationship.

The upper portion 23 of the housing includes a pair of opposed parallelside walls 25 and 26 which are connected by a connecting sheet 21. Inthe form illustrated the upper portion of the housing is flat on itsupper surface and is curved at its ends to fit. about the cylindricalscreens which will be later described in detail.

A pair of bearings 29 are supported on each of the two opposite sides ofthe frame I2 and supporting parallel screen shafts 30 and 3|. Theseshafts are driven by any suitable means such as by the beveled gears 32and 33 which engage .cooperating bevel gears 34 and 35 on alongitudinally extending drive shaft 36. The drive shaft 36 is supportedby'suitable bearings 31 projecting from the sides of the housing or fromthe frame I2, and the bevel gears 34 and 35 are so arranged as to drivethe shafts 36 and 3| in opposite directions. A pulley 39 is provided onthe shaft 36 by means of which the shaft 36 may be rotated by anysuitable source of power supply.

A pair of spaced spiders 46 are mounted on the shaft 39 to support acylindrical screen 4| therebetween. A similar pair of spiders 42 aremounted upon the shaft 3| to support a cylindrical screen 43. Thescreens 4| and 43 are perforated with apertures of the proper shape andsize to permit separation between the desired type of grain and foreignmaterials. Obviously the larger the apertures in the screen the largersize of particles will pass therethrough. Inspection doors 44 areprovided at each end of the housing portion 23 to close inspectionapertures 45 therein.

In order to provide a seal between the cylindrical screen and thetailings chutes, baflle members 46 and 41 are secured to the upper endsof the chutes 2| and 22 respectively. Flexible seals 49 are mounted onthese bafiles 46 and 41 to seal against the surface of the screen and todirect the tailings into the tailings chutes 2| and 22.

Between the screens 4| and 43 I provide a platform 50 which acts as agrain support and which has a central divider 5| thereupon. The divider5| directs grain toward one or the other of the screens and always urgesthe grain into position to bank up against the screen. Flexible seals 52are supported by the edges of the platform 56 so as to prevent theleakage of grain or foreign'particles between the platform and thescreen.

A pair'of baffies 53 and 54 encircle the circumference of the greencylinders 4| and 43 to confine the grain between the ends of thecylindrical screens. The baffles 53 and 54 extend from the connectingmember 21 toward the periphery of the screen terminating in spacedrelation to the surface of the screens. Cooperable ring shaped angles 55and 56 are provided on the screens 4| and 43 adjacent opposite endsthereof, one webof these angles extending outwardly from the surface ofthe screen. A pair of semicircular clamping plates 51 and 59 are securedto each bafile 53 and 54, these clamping plates extending on oppositesides of the angles 55 and 56. These clamping plates 51 and 59 overlapwith the outwardly extending flange of L the angle rings 55 and 56 sothat grain can not pass over the ends of the cylindrical screens 4| and43. Sealing pads 60 of felt or any other suitable means may be securedto the inner faces of the clamping rings 51 and 59 so as to form a tightseal between the rings 55 and 56' in registry with an aperture 6| inthis connecting member 21 I provide an inlet conduit 62' having anoutwardly tapered lower extremity- 63. The upper end of the inletconduit 62 is flanged at 64 to permit the same to be secured to anadjoining conduit portion or the like. An aperture 65 in the lowertapered portion 63 is open to the atmosphere, while anopposite'aperture66 in the opposite tapered wall 61 is connected to asuction conduit 69. The suction conduit 69 is connected to the intake ofa fan or blower 16 which is driven by a pulley 1| secured to the fan orblower shaft 12.

A pair of parallel shafts13 and 14 extend through the inlet conduit 62above the level of theapertures 65 and 66 and the outwardly flared lowerend 63. Upon these shafts are mounted a pair of gates or baffles 15 and16. These baffles tend to restrict the entrance of grain into thescalper and are normally held in closed position by the weight mechanismwhich will now be described.

Externally of the inlet conduit 62 an arm 11 is mounted upon the shaft13 and a second arm 19 is secured intermediate its ends to the shaft 14.One end of the arm 19 overlaps an end of the arm 11. The arm 19 isslotted to receive a bolt or pivot slptted at '80 to supporta bolt orthe inlet conduit 62 from a suitable source of supply. This grain fallsupon the gates or bafiies '15 and 16. The weight of this grain tends topivot the gates 75 and i6 apart. This action raises the weight 82 tosome extent. As the weight of the grain in the inlet increases the gates75 and 16 will be spread farther apart. Should the supply of graindiminish the gates 75 and 16 move together. Thus the grain is preventedfrom falling in large quantities and intermittently into the scalper,the gates acting to feed the grain gradually into the scalper inaccordance with the weight of grain in the inlet.

The fan or suction blower in acts to draw air through the aperture 65,below the gates and "I6 and through the conduit 69. Thus the grain isspread into a thin dropping film by the gates and the air passingthrough this film picks up any light particles, such as dust, chaff,straw, and the like and separates this light material from the grain andlarger impurities. In other words, the grain is spread into a thin filmand aspirated as it drops into the scalper. The dropping grain falls onthe divider 5| and is directed thereby toward the perforated surfaces ofthe screens 4| and 42. These screens are travelling in oppositedirections, the screen 4| travelling in a counter-clockwise directionwhile the screen 43 travels in a clockwise direction as viewed inFigure 1. The larger impurities are carried by movement of the screenover the top surface of the screen. These impurities are dropped intothe tailings chutes 2| and 22. The grain and small heavy particles dropthrough the perforated screen into the interior thereof. The grain onthe interior of the screen may either again pass out through the screenor may fall out through the open portions of the-spiders forming thecylindrical ends. In either event the grain falls into the hopper formedby the lower portion 13 of the housing and into the aperture from whereit is conducted to the next step of cleaning or separating.

During its engagement with the screens the grain is confined within theends of the screen by the bafiies 53 and 54. The entire housing ispreferably substantially air tight so that the air withdrawn from thehousing must enter through the inlet 65 and thus pass directly throughthe layer of grain dropping between the gates 15 and 16.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my multiple scalper, and while I haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to haveit understood that ob vious changes may be made within the scope of thefollowing claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A grain scalper comprising a pair of parallel cylindrical screensmounted upon parallel horizontal shafts, said screens having aperturestherethrough of proper size to permit grain to pass therethrough, agrain support between the screens and confronting said screens atapproximately the level of said shafts,' said support having anupstanding divider thereon with sloping side walls for urging the graintoward said screens, means spaced substantially above said support fordirecting grain onto 'said support throughout the length of said supportat the locus of said divider, and means for rotating said screens in adirection so as toimove the portions thereof adjacent said supportupwardly with respect to said support.

ANTHONY HILL SHEPARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 369,768 Booker Sept. 13, 1887457,923 Morse Aug. 18, 1891 547,600 Engelmayer Oct. 8, 1895 650,034Carkeek May 22, 1900 750,092 Cornwall Jan. 19, 1904 815,070 Culver Mar.13, 1906 1,212,179 Borcherdt Jan. 16, 1917 1,214,189 Laumeister Jan. 30,1917 1,524,909 Buchan Feb. 3, 1925 1,685,512 Varusky Sept. 25, 19281,840,505 Gray Jan. 12, 1932 1,920,190 Dunkin Aug. 1, 1933 1,947,035Covington Feb, 13, 1934 2,134,216 Sutter Oct. 25, 1938 2,183,511Bookwalter Dec. 12, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,374 GreatBritain Feb. 2, 1899

